Penelope Cruz: Known outside her native
country as the "Spanish enchantress", Penélope Cruz Sánchez was born in Madrid
to Eduardo (a retailer) and Encarna (a hairdresser). As a toddler, she was
already a compulsive performer, re-enacting TV commercials for her family's
amusement, but she decided to focus her energies on dance. After studying
classical ballet for nine years at Spain's National Conservatory, she continued
her training under a series of prominent dancers. At 15, however, she heeded her
true calling when she bested more than 300 other girls at a talent agency
audition. The resulting contract landed her several roles in Spanish TV shows
and music videos, which in turn paved the way for a career on the big screen.
Cruz made her movie debut in Laberinto griego, El (1993) (The Greek Labyrinth),
then appeared briefly in the Timothy Dalton thriller Framed (1992) (TV). Her
third film was the Oscar-winning Belle epoque (1992), in which she played one of
four sisters vying for the love of a handsome army deserter. The film also
garnered several Goyas, the Spanish equivalent of the Academy Awards. Her resume
continued to grow by three or four films each year, and soon Cruz was a leading
lady of Spanish cinema. Carne trémula (1997) (Live Flesh) offered her the chance
to work with renowned Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar (who would later be her
ticket to international fame), and the same year she was the lead actress in the
thriller/drama/mystery/sci-fi film Abre los ojos (1997), a huge hit in Spain
that earned eight Goyas (though none for Cruz). Her luck finally changed in
1998, when the movie-industry comedy Niña de tus ojos, La (1998) won her a Best
Actress Goya. Cruz made a few more forays into English-language film, but her
first big international hit was Almodóvar's Todo sobre mi madre (1999) (All
About My Mother), in which she played an unchaste but well-meaning nun. As the
film was showered with awards and accolades, Cruz suddenly found herself in
demand on both sides of the Atlantic. Her next big project was Woman on Top
(2000), an American comedy about a chef with bewitching culinary skills and a
severe case of motion sickness. While in the US, she also signed up to star
opposite Johnny Depp in the drug-trafficking drama Blow (2001) and opposite Matt
Damon (her rumored paramour) in Billy Bob Thornton's All the Pretty Horses
(2000). Cruz says she's wary of being typecast as a beautiful young damsel, but
it's hard to imagine disguising her wide-eyed charms and generous nature (she
once donated an entire paycheck to Mother Teresa's children's sanctuary).
Fortunately, with Cameron Crowe's Vanilla Sky (2001) (a remake of Abre los ojos
(1997)) and a John Madden collaboration looming in her future, Damsel Penelope
isn't likely to disappear just yet.
Trivia
After filming All the Pretty Horses (2000), she became a vegetarian.
It was rumored that she donated her entire The Hi-Lo Country (1998) salary to
the Mother Teresa's children's sanctuary in Calcutta after spending a week there
volunteering. This was later denounced by Cruz, according to a Reuters news
article in 2001.
Daughter of Eduardo (merchant) and Encarna (hairdresser).
Brother, Eduardo.
Academic curriculum: Finished 2º B.U.P. (2nd. year of secondary school). Had 4
years of dance performance with Cristina Rota, several dance courses at New
York, 9 years of classic ballet at the Conservatorio Nacional and 3 years of
Spanish ballet with Ángela Garrido. Also had Jazz Dance course with Raúl
Caballero.
Volunteered in Uganda for 2 months in 1997 with then boyfriend Faiz Ahmad.
She founded a non-government organisation (NGO) called Sabera Foundation.
Together with Nacho Cano and other Spanish entertainers, they have set up a
home, a school and a clinic for homeless girls and people suffering from
tuberculosis in Calcutta. Two documentary programs were made for Spanish TV on
this project. Unfortunately differences of opinion caused a collapse in the
project and Sabera Foundation tragically no longer exists.
Dated Tom Cruise. [2001-January 2004]
She was named after the song "Penélope" by Joan Manuel Serrat.
Her sister Mónica Cruz is now a TV star in Spain. She starred in "Paso adelante,
Un" (2002) as a young dancer with a famous aunt.
Voted the 7th Sexiest Female Movie Star in the Australian Empire Magazine
September 2002.
Lived with Nacho Cano, Spanish musician, part of the trio (famous in Spain)
called "Mecano", a pop music group. Penelope appeared in one of the band's
video-clips "la Fuerza del Destino" and that's where her romance with one of the
two Cano brothers that form part of the group along with the singer Ana Torroja
begun.
Best friends with actresses Goya Toledo and Salma Hayek.
Ranked #23 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002).
Likes to keep stray cats.
Learned Italian because she wanted her part in the movie Non ti muovere (2004)
really badly. It paid off and she went on to win the Italian equivalent of the
Oscars for Best Actress.
Speaks four languages: Spanish, Italian, French and English.
Was accompanied by Matthew McConaughey to the Grammy Awards in 2005. The couple
met on the set of Sahara (2005).
Shares her birthday with Jessica Alba & Jay Leno
Spanish citizen.
Two of her boyfriends have been named "Sexiest Man Alive" by People Magazine:
Tom Cruise (in 1990) and Matthew McConaughey (in 2005).
Sister of Mónica Cruz
Bigas Luna was determined to have her starring as the lead character in the
torrid Edades de Lulú, Las (1990), but Penélope was only 14. They agreed that
she was too young for the role and Francesca Neri was cast instead. Two years
later, Luna's fixation with Cruz resulted in her breakthrough performance in
Jamón, jamón (1992), her first film, famous for her somewhat erotic scenes. They
eventually collaborated again in Volavérunt (1999).
Claims that Victoria Abril's powerful performance in Pedro Almodóvar's ¡Átame!
(1990) ("Tie me up, tie me down!") determined her to become an actress.
Ranked as #51 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement.
(2005)
She claims her role in Bigas Luna's Jamón, jamón (1992) psychologically scarred
her for life. She was a teenager when she was cast in the film which required
her to do nudity and sex scenes.
Named #72 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement.
(2006).
Good friends with ex-boyfriend Tom Cruise. She was one of the first people to
visit his new-born baby daughter Suri.
One of People magazines 50 Most Beautiful People in the world 2005.
Sister of singer Eduardo Cruz and actress Mónica Cruz.
Second Spanish performer to be Oscar-nominated. The first one was Javier Bardem.
Is a fan of Indian cinema and has expressed interest in working with Bollywood
actor Shahrukh Khan someday.
Ranked #58 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list.

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